Mining machine



L. A. MAXSON MINING MACHINE March 5, 1929.

Original Filed Aug. 14, 1925 45 21 Even-Z021 120 5a. 1144mm. Z9 J I r 6/ Patented Mar. 5, 1929. v

UMTED -s'rA'rEs PATENT OFF C Louis A. MAxsoN, or CLAREMONT, nnw HAMPsnm-n, AssIeNoR To SULLIVAN MACHINERY coMraNY, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS.

MINING ivracnmn.

' Application filed August 14, 1925, Serial No. 50,272; Renewed November 17, 1927.

My invention relates to mining machines and more particularly to mining machines comprising 'motor operated cuttlng mechanism and motor operated feed operating and controlling mechanism.

In such machines a single motor is ordinarily employed to actuate both the feeding and cutting mechanisms, and the feeding mechanismordinarily provides both a relatively fast machinevmoving speed, used to position the machine, to load it on its truck, to unload it therefrom, etc., and a relatively slow. or cutting speed. The cutting mechanism is usually actuated through transmission mechanism including a manually operable clutch, and during all operations except actual cutting the machine runner may and should interrupt the orbital movement of the cutting elements for accidents might very easily occur and the speed and power of the movement of the cutting elements issuch-that a leg might be .very quickly severed. 7

It is, generally speaking, the object of the present in'ventionto provide improved means for insuring automatically and without the need for thought on the part of the machine runner the interruption of cutting element v driving means at any time and connection 7 thereof except as later specified, plural speed movement whenever the machine is moving at rates above its cutting speed. It is to be understood that in the case of machines having 'sumping speeds in excess of normal transverse cutting'speeds the automatic interruption 'is preferably to take place only when movement is in excess'of the maximum cutting, or sumping, speed. More specifically, the object is to provide improvedcontrolling means for the powertransmission connections between the cutting mechanism and its driving means including means actuated by. a

controlling member for the feeding mecha-' nism for disconnecting the cutting mechanism from its driving meanstwhen the feeding mechanism is operated at its moving? or positioning speed, sald parts permittlng disconnection of the cutting mechanism from.

its driving meansat any other time as well, at the will of the operator. I

. In a preferred form the invention comprises cutting mechanism, driving means therefor, a clutch or similar power transmission controlling device between the same, controlling means permitting vpositive disconnection of the cutting mechanism from its "means, controlling means therefor determinfeeding means, controlling means therefor,

and means controlled-bysaid feedingmeans controlling means controlling the capacity ofsa d cutting mechanism drive controlling means to effectdriving connection, said last mentioned means being efiective only atcertain higher speeds of feed; More generally 1 speaking, theinvention comprises cutting mechanism, drivlng means therefor, feeding ing the speed thereof, and means precluding drive of'said cutting mechanism by its dri'v-.

ing mean means. v

In the accompanying drawings, in which one embodimentof theinvention is shown for purposes of illustration,

Fig. 1 is a top View with parts s at certain speeds of said "feeding broken away I of the rear end of a mining machine; 1 s

at the left of the figure.

'In Views 1 and 2 is illustrated a portion-of drive cutting mechanism, a portion of which is shown at 12, and feeding mechanismineluding a feed operating member 13 in the form of a sprocket which cooperates with a j i 7 cha n 13 having portions atthe opposite 1 sides of the sprocket respectively designated 13 and 13?. The sprocket 13 constitutes an ultimate powertransmitting'element or traction means'common to both fast and slow speed drives aswill'later'appear. The armat ture shaft 11 carries a bevelpinion 14 which drives a bevel gear 15 rotating on a vertical axis and driving through a suitable fric- .so I

a mining machine 10 which comprisesa motor whose armature shaft 11is operative to tionally controlled pinion 16 the feed operating mechanism of the mining machine. The frictional controlling mechanism is not illustrated, but like the feed mechanism as a whole is of the typeshown in the patent to. j

able. lever 17/ Thecutting mechanism is driven/through a pinion, 18 constantly rotating with the gear 15 and meshing withia large car '20 coaxial with a'cutter chain driving sprocket21,thismechanismalsocornespondr ing in the illustrative form invention Morris P. Holmes, No. 1,54, 067, granted June 30, 1925, and is controlled.by'azmanuallyoperv precisely vwith the 1necl1anism;disclosed in prises a plurality of gears as more fullyillus' said Holmes patent.

The feeding IIlQOllfi-IHSHT comprises reversng. mechanism including gears 22 and 23 selectively connectible in driving relation to a gear 24 under the control of the lever 25 to effect drive in opposite directions of the gear 24. The feed operating mechanism also comtratedin said pat ent to Holmes and particu- .f larly including a pair of constantly driven I gears 27 and 28 which rotate at substantially if different speeds, the gear 27 being rotatable at a speed proportional to'themachine moving speed while the gear 28is rotatable at a I speed bearing the same ratio to the cutting speed] The gears 27 and 28 are rotatably mountedupona vertical stud 29 and are respectively operatively connectedto clutch elements 30 and 31 having teeth directed towards each. other.

' fme'mhers 30 and 31 is a relatively long driving'pinion 32 slidable longitudinally'of the shaft and having 'at its opposite ends clutch teeth 33 and 34 alternatively engageable rea driving element for a gear 35which is 3'0 ber 13 and drivesthe latter. 'scription so far given it will be apparent s'pectively wit-h the clutch members 30 and 31.

The pinion 327meshe's with and Constitutes keyed or otherwise suitably held "in non- 'rotative relation to the feed operating mem- From the dethat upward movement of the pinion 32 to 'connect'the clutch teeth 33 with the clutch 3O fcauses rotation of the. feed operating'member 13in the fast or machine positioning and moving speed, While downward movement of the-pinion 32 to connect the teeth 34 with the clutch 31 causes drivingjof the feed operating member '13'at a slow orcutting speed.

" Vertical movementsfof the pinion 32 and its associated clutchiteeth are accomplished fby a shifter mechanism including a yoke 36 'operatively connected with a. grooved" collar 37 formed upon an extension of the pinion 7 'thelink 41. Pin means generally designated 60.

46 carried bythe handle 44 and adapte'd'to cooperate with a plurality of recesses 47 to.

hold' the handle 44"in.dilferent positions enables theyoke 36 to be positively held inslow speed'eflecting position (seeFig, 1), in nen tral'p'osition, andin fast speedposition, the

, Mountedfor rotation iupon the shaft 29 intermediate the clutch handle 44 "under the latter condition occupying a position 180 degrees from that of Fig. 1. This handle and arm together constitute a primary controlling element by whose positioning either of'the possible speeds of feed maybe selected.

,Th-e cutter chain driving sprocket is journaled' for rotation upon the exterior of a sleeve50 carried by the gear 20 and is adapted to be connected for driving by said gear by a'series of clutch pins51 vertically reciproe cable through openings 52 in the gear 20 and adapted to enter openings 53 inthe sleeve 54 rotating with the sprocket 21. The pins 51arecarried upon a plate 55 which has a circular flange 56 thereon received in an internally grooved shipper ring 57 which .is

provided at diametrically, opposite points wvith projecting pins 58 engageable by a plurality of shipper yokes which will shortly be described. 5 7 v Held innon-rotative relation to the extremity of the shaft 38is an arm 60 connected by a slotted link 61 to one end of an oscillating'lever 62 j ournaled upon a stud 63 suitably supported upon the frame of the mining machine, the other arm 64 of the leverbeing branched to form a shipper yoke and thee);-

tremities of these arms being slotted as at 65 7 to cooperate with the pins 58. The pins 58 are engaged at points outside the arm first mentioned by other slotted arms 69 formed upon a member 7 O pivotally mount-, ed at 71 for oscillation relative to themain frame. The, member is pivotally connected at its rear end to a link 72 which at its upper end carriesa head 73 recip rocable in the bore 74 of a hollow member 75; A spring 76in the bore normally maintains the head 7 3 in engagement with the inwardly projecting extremity 77 of a link "member 7 8 provided [with a' transverse slot 79 cooperating with'an eccentric pin 80on a'rotatable shaft 81. The shaft 81 is provided with an operating handle 82 carrying a manually releasable spring actuated pin and handle member 83 which maybe 7 moved from the position in F ig. 2, in which it engages with an opening 84 inzthe main 7 frame, to a position in which thepin engages with an opening 85, at which time the move mentsofrthe handle 82 from the position shown in Fig.2 to a diametrically opposite position move the pins 51-completely outof engagement with the recesses 53 in the ring 54 and thereby effect disconnect on between the cutting mechanism and its driving means.

i From the description given the mode of operation of'this mechanism will be clearly apparent; It will be evident that with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2 the cutter chain is capable of being driven in a normal manner. Upward movement of the pinion 32 may be accomplisheditoa position corresponding Y to the neutral position -of the" that in view of the slotted connection between the link 61 and the lever 62 the handle 82 may handle 44, i. e, to a position in which the I clutch teeth 33 and 34: are'both disengaged "without efiecting any movement of the pins '51 due to the loose connectionbetween the link 61 and the lever 62. 'Further upward pins 51 completely'out ofengagement with the recesses 53, the spring 76 yielding to permit this result. It will. be evident moreover I at any time be operated by the machine runner to effect poslt ve downward movement ofthe link elements 78-and 72 and correspond ing upward movement of the cutter chain drivingsprocket; It will therefore be apparent that the clutch controlling driving of the cutting mechanism will be moved to disconnecting position at any time by the machine runner by operation of the handle 82 and that notwithstanding the movement of the handle 82 to a-position normally effecting connection of the clutch the cutter chain drive will be interrupted whenever the handle 44. assumes the position in I which the feeding member 13 will be driven at the fast orma chine moving and positioning speed. It will therefore be apparent that the operator can not possibly run the risk of injuring himself or his helper due to the running of the cutter chain while the machine is being moved and positioned.

l/Vhile I have in this application specifically described one form which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim new and desire to. secure by Letters Patent is: I 1. In a mining machine, cutting mechanism, driving means therefor, machine feeding means operative to provide a plurality of feeding speeds, and controlling means for said machine feeding means determining the transmitted speed of the latter and precludmg driving of the cuttmg mechanlsm by 1ts driving means at a certain speed of sa1d feeding means, said controlling means ineluding an operator controlled primary controlling element by whose positioning any of said plurality of speeds may be selected.

2. In a mining-machine, cutting mecha nism, driving means therefor. and clutch means for effecting connection therebetween, feeding means operative to provide a plurality of speeds, controlling means therefor determining the speed thereof including a primary control element by whose position ingany of said plurality of speeds maybe selected, and means interrupting the connection-betwe en said'cuttingmechanism and the driving means therefor invariably at a certain speed of saidfeeding means selected by positioningof said control element; 5

8. In a mining machine, cuttingimechanism, driving means therefor, feeding means, -controlhng means-therefor determining the speedthereofincluding an element operative *on movement in one direction'to effect fast feed and on movement in an opposite direc- (11011130 eife'ctslow feed, and means controlled {by s'aidelement ofsaid controlling means interrupt ng the connection betweensa'ld cutting mechani'sm'and the driving-means therefor at certaln speeds of sald feeding means.

4:; In a. mining machine,'a motor, cutting" mechanism, operative connections' between the motor. and sand cutting mechanism including a clutch, feeding means, operative connections between said motor and said feedlng means including plural; speed drlving connections and .a manually controlled member determining the speed of driveand positionable to effect any of the 'possible'driving speeds, and means governed bysaid manually controlled member controlling the driving connections between the cutting mechanism and said motor. I

5. In a mining machine,. cutting mechanism,'driving means therefor, feed operating means, plural speed driving means therefor, controlling mechanism for said cutting mechanism driving means including a manually operable controlling element, control I ling mechanism for said feeding mechanism driving means "determiningthe speed of drive thereof and including a manually operable controlling element positionable to effect different' feeding speeds, and operative. connections between said controlling means rendering said first mentioned controllingmeans inoperative to efiect 1 driving connections when the manually operable controlling ele ment .of said second mentioned controlling means is operated in ner. v V

6. In a mining machine, cutting mecha nism, driving means therefor including a a predetermined manclutch member movable to interrupt drive,

feeding mechanism and driving means therefor including clutch means movable toldifferent positions to effect feed at different speeds, controlling] meansv for said feeding means operative to move said clutch means to different positions, controlling means for said cutting mechanism operative to move said clutch to different positions, a yielding connection between one of saidcontrolling means and its respective clutch, and means affording interconnection between said controlling means. i

7. In a mining machine, cuttingmecha nism, driving means therefor including a j clutch movable to interrupt drive, feeding mechanism and driving means therefor inconnection between said controlling means.

8. In a mining machine, a'motor,-cutt1ng V -mechan1sm driven thereby including a cutscluding clutch means movable to different and. its respective clutch, and means includ-;

ing a lost motion connection affording interter bit carrying cutter bar, means for effecting movement of said cutter bar at a slow speed in one direction for cutting and at a .the opposite direction including a plurality of flexible feeding portions, and means for fast speed in the opposite direction including the same ultimate power transmitting I element during each of said movements, and '20 means for automatically interrupting operation of 'saidcutting mechanism when said fast speed bar movingmeans is operative.

9. In a mining machine, amotor, cutting mechanism driven-thereby, means driven'by said motor for. moving said cutting mechanism bodily in onedirection at a slowspeed for cuttin and bodily-in the opposite direction at a fast speed and inoluding the same ultimate traction means at each speed, manually operable means for controlling the connection ofsaid different speeds, and means governed bysaid manually controlled means for insuring-interruption of the operation of ter, bit carrying cutter bar, means r'or effectsaid cutting mechanism when said cutting mechanism is moved at a fast speed. a

10. In a mining machine, a motor, cutting .mechanism driven thereby including a cuting movement of said cutter bar at a slow speed in one direction and at a fast speed in automatically interrupting operation of. said cuttin mechanism when said fast speed bar -moving means is operative.

Louis A, MAXSONQ 

